Mon, 12 Feb 2018 06:35:33 -0600WeeblyWed, 07 Feb 2018 17:14:24 GMThttp://www.thetinytruth.com/blog/things-i-missDon't hate me. We canceled our internet at home because it never worked, so unless I want to go blog at McDonald's I am out of luck. You can't blame me for avoiding that place. Oh...why don't I just go to Starbucks you ask? BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ONE!!! Ridic.

So here I am, finally writing, to fill you in on the things I have been missing since we moved into the tiny house almost eight months ago.

1. Internet: Yes, we do have plans to get internet again. We began this process right after Christmas. One word. Comcast. That should explain everything.

2. Buying in bulk: I am the queen of deals. When I find a good deal, I buy all of the things. Now I cannot. Our pantry consists of two cabinets and the stairs. We make trips weekly to buy toilet paper, paper towels, etc... Thank goodness for grocery pick up because I hate grocery shopping. In fact, today we went into the grocery store- with the kids. They haven't all been in a grocery store with us since we moved. OH MY WORD!!! They were acting a fool- touching everything, asking for everything, crying and making a scene because I told them to pick one kind of cereal. NEVER AGAIN!

3. Taking my time in the bathroom: While we have not experienced many emergencies regarding the bathroom, I do miss leisurely washing my face, brushing my teeth, showering, and taking care of other bathroom business. In the tiny house, you get in and get out.

4. My own toothpaste: Oh my word my family cannot squirt toothpaste without making a mess or squeeze the tube smoothly from top to bottom. I am a failure as a mother. And a wife. Who am I? What has happened to me? And where is the lid to the toothpaste?!?!?!?!?!?

5. Shopping: I love to shop (except for groceries)... mostly online. And I have to admit, I have done MUCH better! Matt would debate, but this is only because I have had a relapse over the past couple of weeks. Someone, I won't name any names, introduced me to a bag company (Nena and Co.) that I fell in love with. I love bags. Like LOVE LOVE LOVE bags. Well... I got one. And then another. And a couple more after that. (As Matt pointed out while I was taking this picture, it happened to be more than a couple.) I apologized to Matt and am back on the wagon again. But I am not selling my bags. And I will limit myself from this point forward. I hope. Update: one bag is for sale.

6. TV with Matt: Matt and I used to record a couple of shows and then watch them in the living room once the kids went to bed. We have never been in room TV watchers. In fact, for years we didn't even have a TV in the room. If I am in my bed, I am going to sleep- not watching TV. Once the kids are asleep, our only TV option is in the room so we don't watch much TV together anymore.

7. Space for projects: Cooper is in the talent show this week. I told him he could be in the talent show with his friends if I was not the one in charge. That is what I said, but that is not what happened. You win some, you lose some. His "talent" requires lots of props. I don't have anywhere to keep all of that stuff so the back of my car has become the craft/prop/project storage shed. I suppose things could be worse- I used to have a Civic. But they sure were cute!

8. Sending the kids to their room: Too many times the words, "Go to your room," have made it to the tip of my tongue before I remember they don't have rooms to go to. I don't think I used to send the kids to their rooms often, but I guess it was enough for me to notice that I don't have that option anymore. For now, I send them to my room or outside until we can discuss the situation.

9. My side of the bed: I no longer have a side of the bed. I sleep against the wall. Every time I get up I have to climb over Matt. It's quite ridiculous, but I don't want to sleep closest to the door. That's the man's job. You know... so the thieves can get to him first.

Looking back at the list, I see that there is nothing I miss that I can't deal with. Are some of the things irritating? Yes. Are they altering my quality of life? No. Well, maybe the toothpaste.

What do I not miss? A house note.

]]>Wed, 22 Nov 2017 01:05:07 GMThttp://www.thetinytruth.com/blog/christmas-christmas-time-is-hereHolidays. Holidays are the one thing I have wondered how we would handle since we came up with the crazy idea to go tiny. Well, they are here! I decided to update you all on how things have been going and how we are tackling the Christmas season.

This week makes five months that we have been in the tiny house. Matt said all his people were betting on six months so he is excited we are about to prove them all wrong. All my people are betting on a year so we still have a ways to go. Honestly, we have NO plans to move at any point in the future. But we have been known to make hasty decisions in the past so I suppose only time will tell.

In the past the only day we spend at home together is Christmas day. We usually go elsewhere for Thanksgiving and the rest of the Christmas holidays. The real issue that I am concerned about is presents. Where in the world am I going to keep presents from Black Friday until Christmas?!?!?! I have no idea. Right now the purchases I have made are beside the bed. Collecting dust. I think the kids are going to have to deliver presents to their teachers the day we go back from Thanksgiving break. Is that wrong? No. No it is not. Because I am a teacher and I know that gifts are appreciated at any time of the year. So that takes care of that.

What about the kids' presents? Well....we kind of persuaded them to take a trip to Disney and Universal instead of doing presents this year. That will only take up space in their heads in the form of memories that will last a lifetime. (And I am sure the kids will use all of their Disney money to purchase new stuffed animals. What is so appealing about those things?!?!?!) I mean- would we rather have memories or toys like that Hatchimal from last year that that ended up in the trash can when we moved? Stupid toy. We do, however, still have the Lion-O costume.

We have asked others who buy for the kids to purchase things that will provide experiences for them. Or things that go outside. For example, Nana got us one big family gift- a trampoline! It arrived early and we have been playing with it daily. It has been so much fun to play with the kids outside and hear them laughing and playing together. Everyone agreed on this idea ahead of time. I hope they remember the agreement when we go to Nana's and there are no presents under the tree. I hope I remember that agreement as well. :)

Here are some other gift ideas that provide experiences for both kids and adults. In other words, this is the Christmas list for the kids and me.

- a year subscription to ABC mouse- a membership to a zoo or museum- a magazine subscription- a subscription box- like tinker crate or the fruit of the month club from Harry and David- gift certificates for a pedicure or manicure- tickets to a play or event- gift certificate to hotwire or priceline (I. Would. Love. This.)

All of the above provide experiences that the kids/ adults will remember or gifts that give for a long time. This is SO much better than a toy that will end up in the trash.

​As for Matt and me, I don't think we are exchanging gifts. He said we didn't have room for anything. I told him there was plenty of room on my right ring finger. Diamonds are the perfect gift! Back me up, ladies.

So, things are looking good here at the tiny house! Christmas cards are going out on Friday and the house is all decorated for the holidays. Matt is already worried about where we will put the decorations when Christmas is over. Doesn't he know people around here leave their decorations up all year? Hahaha! For real though, he was like, "How much did all this cost? Can we just throw it away?" Men.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

]]>Thu, 26 Oct 2017 13:56:14 GMThttp://www.thetinytruth.com/blog/the-end-is-nearI have never been more excited to see a week end than I have this week. It is Thursday. The pumpkins have been delivered and once again all the kids made it to school dressed in the appropriate attire for their themed day of red ribbon week. It was only hat day for two kids and mismatch day for the other so I cannot pat myself on the back too much. Callan LOVES mismatch day. Seriously. This morning she told me it was her favorite day of the entire year. She told me this as she layered on five pairs of pants. I sure hope she doesn't have to go to the bathroom much today. Dressing out for PE might also present some problems.

We spent last night wrapping up this Harry Potter pumpkin contest theme that I should've said no to from the very beginning. I should've just said yes to the Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters or Papa Smurf, but I didn't. Cooper painted the base layer on the pumpkins on Monday so they were all ready to go. When we got home from church at 8 pm we got busy. Yes, you read that right. Eight o'clock in the evening. Now I know all you naysayers are all like well you knew you had church on Wednesday. You should've started them earlier. We did start earlier. On Monday. And yes, we could've started them on the weekend, but do you know how fast pumpkins rot these days?!?!? When I was little pumpkins lasted forever! Now they don't even make it a week. Global warming I'm sure. And on Tuesday I had that inconvenient but necessary hair appointment. So I sent Matt to Hobby Lobby to get the remaining supplies and we all met back up at the house to decorate pumpkins on a Wednesday night after church at 8 pm.

​​I told Cooper, "You have me until ten, and then I am going to bed. And I am not painting pumpkins. This is your project. You signed up for it and came up with the idea. You do it. I will work on getting your backdrop to stand up and that is it."Cooper then escorted me and my supplies into my room, shut the door, and said, "There ya go, mom. Work your magic."Ummmm...ok. Workspace? Negative. But I had a 5 ft by 7 ft antique library backdrop that I was supposed to adhere to two project boards. So I threw the boards onto the bed, which was filled with laundry, and got to work. Ten o'clock was coming fast and I had just realized that in order to sleep, I was also going to have to fold and put away laundry. I got that backdrop done with time to spare. I left my office/room and went to check on Cooper. Callan offered to help him with his characters so they were hard at work. On the first face. Oh my word, people, pick up the pace!!! When I work, I do everything at an abnormally fast pace, so I just can't comprehend how my children are so slow. Oh wait. Have you met my husband? Yeah. That's it right there. But as Carys reminded me last night, "Slow and steady wins the race, mom." Yeah. But the slow and steady get less done and less sleep so whatever. Surprisingly, I took a step back and I did NOT pick up a paintbrush to help. If you know me, you know this is a major accomplishment. I tend to have perfectionist tendencies. Often. As the night progressed we realized we needed two more Gryffindor scarves so I dug the printer out of the shed and it miraculously had color ink!!! So I printed those for Cooper. And I helped him figure out how to make his characters stand up. BUT I DID NOT HELP WITH THE PUMPKINS IN ANY WAY!!! I just want that to be clear before I post pictures of the completed project. This was all his. I was pretty impressed when Matt sent pics of it today. I mean, we couldn't do a test run at the house (space issues) so the pictures from school were the first time I saw it all put together.

​I sure hope Cooper was proud of his creation. In the end, that is all that really matters. I am proud. I am proud that he came up with his own idea and executed it almost entirely on his own. You know that is kind of how life works. We have to come up with ideas and figure out how to make them work. Maybe this pumpkin contest does have applicable life lessons after all. We did get to spend some time together as a family. And we did talk and share ideas. And we did laugh and have fun. And I had a reason to drink two cups of coffee this morning. Maybe this contest wasn't so bad after all.

Tomorrow is Friday and we have to "keep our dreams alive!" Please excuse me while I go Pinterest some easy-to-make-at-the-last-minute Disney characters and run to Hobby Lobby. Until next year, red ribbon week and pumpkin contest! This year, I declare myself a winner!

]]>Tue, 24 Oct 2017 15:58:13 GMThttp://www.thetinytruth.com/blog/just-say-noThere are some things that you just don't think about when you are considering moving into a tiny house. Like red ribbon week. And the pumpkin decorating contest. And it's only October. Let me just tell you- a tiny house is not made for any of these awesome activities. By awesome I mean for the kids. Because going to Hobby Lobby nine times in one week is not awesome for any parent. And spending insane amounts of money to dress like a minion for one day is not awesome. It's despicable. (Go ahead. Laugh.) So let me just tell you about our week so far. ​

Late Sunday evening: Cooper comes into my room. "Oh yeah, mom. It is red ribbon week tomorrow.""Oh fantastic!" I muttered with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. Knowing Hobby Lobby was closed, I hesitantly asked, "What do you have to wear tomorrow?""Red, " he responded. Phew. Way to go teachers! Red on a Monday. Way to help a momma out!!! Hold up. "Do you still have a red shirt?""I have this one from church. Well it is Callan's because mine is too small. And I also have this red Nike arm sleeve. I can wear it, too," he said. Matt was like, "Cooper. Please don't wear that arm sleeve." And I was over there like, "Well it is red, honey." He wore the sleeve. It was about this time I remembered I had two other kids who also had red ribbon week at school. Schools, can we just collaborate to help all the moms out? Can we just all do the same days? No. I guess we can't. Carys is at the same school as Cooper. Yay for another red shirt! I knew she had one with stripes and flowers. It would have to work. Now onto Callan. "Callan, what is your dress up day tomorrow?" Since she is in junior high, I just knew it was going to be easy. She excitedly said, "50's Day!"Face plant. WHY?? But then I thought of something. She is fourteen. So I said, "Well google it and get it figured out!" And you know what? SHE DID!!!!!!! I am a parenting genius. Monday dress up was a success. (Minus the red arm sleeve but whatever- it WAS red.)

​Monday afternoon:You know. It was a normal Monday. I arrived home with plans to take Cooper to buy pumpkins for his pumpkin decorating project at school. Let's pause for a moment and talk about pumpkin contests and my son. It is his last year in elementary. He wants to go out with a bang and while I understand that, I need the schools to establish some pumpkin contest rules. I have suggestions. 1. You may only use one pumpkin. There. That is it. I mean- I thought I had more suggestions, but it turns out that one would solve all of my issues. So Cooper wanted to do a Harry Potter themed pumpkin creation with all the characters. "Don't forget about the owl, Mom! And then you can make me a castle background." At that point I was like, "Ummm..... no. I am not building a castle." It was then that the word "no" should've left my mouth regarding the entire backdrop idea, but instead these words flowed out. "We will just order a backdrop off Amazon." And we did. Face plant. My forehead is sure to be bruised by week's end. But it is a very nice antique library backdrop that is extremely Harry Potteresque.

So on with the afternoon. I had scheduled a WalMart grocery pick up from 4-5pm. So we went to WalMart to buy pumpkins and then drove around the side to pick up groceries. I must love my kids because I hate going in WalMart. Here is the thing though. Cooper needed FIVE pumpkins. Don't even get me started. At the other stores they are $7-$10 each. At WalMart, they were $3.88. It was a no brainer. So we dove into the many boxes of pumpkins, some rotting, to locate perfectly shaped Harry Potter, Ron, Hermoine, and Snape heads. No worries, we also got one to represent Hedwig and Dobby. I did say no to Dumbledore and Hagrid. Aren't you proud?!?!?

So somewhere in the midst of pulling Harry Potter out of the pumpkin box and driving around to get the groceries Cooper says, "Oh yeah, mom. Tomorrow is minion day."My head whipped around so fast I almost tumbled into the box of Harry Potter wannabes. "Excuse me?" I said.And then Carys. Sweet Carys said something like. "Yes, mom! We get to be minions! And my teacher said we are going to be the cutest minions ever!" Good gosh. So we carted that sixty pound buggy of heads around Wal Mart looking for yellow shirts. They were fresh out. They did have a minion pajama outfit that Cooper really wanted. Until I said he could buy it with his own money. Then he suggested we go check Hobby Lobby. Uhnhuh. That's what I thought. So we paid for the pumpkins, loaded them into the car, drove around and let someone else load the groceries into the car (where mysteriously my diet food didn't make it onto my official list- oh well- must be a sign), and then rode over to Hobby Lobby. On the way I uttered the words, "Y'all are killing me and it is only Tuesday."Cooper responded, "Mom, it's Monday." Bummer.As the tear slid down my cheek, I lifted my head and forged onward,

I am going to issue a PSA to all of you now. IF YOU NEED A COLORED SHIRT GO NOW! DON"T DELAY! Between red ribbon week and Halloween, colored shirts are in demand. Because of this, Carys ended up with a minion nightgown. Cooper lucked out and got the rightish size, but Carys not so much. Yellow shirts. Check. Blue paint for overalls. Check. (Not really sure when I agreed to let the kids paint the shirts, but somehow that happened.) We were headed out when Cooper asked, "Mom, do we have paintbrushes?"NO! NO WE DO NOT!!! We don't have anything! We threw it all away! Don't you remember the trash piles?!?!?! All of these thoughts rushed through my head as we turned around to go get a package of sponge brushes. At least we could use them for the pumpkins too.

We went home. It was then that I realized the only place we could paint the shirts was on the dinner table. And we hadn't eaten yet. So I whipped up some spaghetti, cleaned off the table, and then a thought crossed my mind. What do drugs and minions have to do with each other anyway? Look what drugs will do to you, kids! Don't be a minion. But the kids quickly put those thoughts to rest by saying, "Drugs are despicable!" Ahhh. Clever. So we started painting on those minion overalls. For all of about ten minutes. Then we ran out of paint. It was 7:11. "Matt!""What?""I need you to go get paint at Hobby Lobby. Hurry! They close at 8. We need a LOT more than this!""Let me take a picture of what I need to get," he said. (He is a smart man.)When Matt got back he said, "Ain't nobody else having these color minion overalls. I bought all they had, baby. You shoulda seen those people fighting over those yellow shirts. The poor Sanches kid had to get a white shirt."Hilarious.​​We got those shirts painted though. And they were the cutest minions there ever were.

Tuesday Night: "So what do you have to dress up like tomorrow, kids?" I asked after I got home late from my hair appointment which just happened to fall during one of the most inconvenient weeks of the school year.

"It is superhero day tomorrow!" Carys and Cooper said.

I am about to put 'em all in a striped shirt with black skinnies and a long cardigan, slap a "Chamie" name tag across their chests, and call it a win.

Or maybe I'll just go to WalMart in a few. See you there!

Disclaimer: I love my kids' teachers and all of the effort they put into promoting a safe, fun, and healthy environment in which my children can thrive. And I will go to Hobby Lobby countless times, paint a bazillion shirts, and load umpteen pumpkins into my cart to see my kids smile and create priceless memories with them. But only for twelve more years after this one. Not that I am counting.

]]>Sun, 22 Oct 2017 12:13:23 GMThttp://www.thetinytruth.com/blog/the-loftI did it. I finally made time to get pictures of the loft. Actually, I made Callan take the pictures, but she didn't quite capture what I had in mind so I made her take some more. Now I am waiting on Callan and Cooper to wake up so I can go up there and take even more.

The loft, for the most part, has worked well for the older kids. Sometimes at night after all the lights are out I can hear them chatting. Chatting. Not fighting. It is a wonderful sound to hear. There are times that I tiptoe quietly into the kitchen and glance up to see what is going on. Cooper will be lying on the floor and have his head peeking around to Callan's side. It is the sweetest thing ever.

And then there are those times that they are screaming at each other about the line. "You see that line. That is my space. Get back over to your side." Typical. But the sweet chats I hear during the late night hours make up for all of those moments.

Here is what the loft looks like on any given day.

And this is why I stay downstairs. You see, you cannot see the floor of the loft unless you go up the stairs. Out of sight, out of mind. Here are some more pics that are a little cleaner.

This is Cooper's side of the loft. They can actually sit up on their beds as long as they sit toward the middle of the bed. Their number one complaint about the tiny house is that they bump their heads often. I told them they could move downstairs with Carys. You see they are both still in the loft.

And here is Callan's side. In the middle of the loft, we put the same piece of furniture that is in the living room. It is from IKEA. When you purchase it, the cubes are all empty and you choose your inserts based on your needs. Callan chose wood inserts and Cooper chose the glossy deep turquoise. Because of the versatility of the piece, we were able to attach Callan's inserts so they face her side of the loft and Cooper's so they face his bed. We also put a medicine cabinet with a mirror on each side so they can do some of their getting ready upstairs. They also have some lap desks to draw and paint on. They stay folded and lean against the end of the "dresser."

​On top of their furniture they have their books, a few pictures, and a lot of junk. There is a reason i am not showing you what is inside their cabinets. Out of sight, out of mind. Out of sight, out of mind. Repeat.

That is about it for the loft. And that finally ends the tour! Now maybe I can get onto blogging about what it is like to actually live in this tiny thing. Maybe. If I can get my wireless to actually work. I have typed this blog three...make that four... times already. This is why it has been three weeks since the last post. SO FRUSTRATING!!! Message me if you need to know who NOT to get internet from. The funny part is I tried to pay the bill online and couldn't even get service to do that. Sigh.

​And since I am feeling so transparent today, I decided I am going to let you take a peek inside those cabinets.

​I shouldn't have even gone up there. I am going to hurt 'em.

Out of sight, out of mind. Out of sight, out of mind. Out of sight, out of mind.

]]>Mon, 02 Oct 2017 00:42:50 GMThttp://www.thetinytruth.com/blog/bunkbed-blissI need a break! School this year is wearing me out. Well... school and birthdays. Callan turned 14 earlier this month, Cooper turned 11 two days ago, and Matt turned older today. But let's face it...when you get older there is no point in celebrating. If you are one of those adults who celebrate yearly and expect presents from those outside your immediate family, I don't get you (or presents for you). And I am ok with that. You probably aren't, but I am.

But all that is irrelevant because I am here to show you Carys's "room." Maybe I can get to the loft this week and finally finish up the tour. It has only taken two months. Don't judge...we have new science standards at school this year

Carys's "room" consists of bunk beds in the hallway. I almost broke my neck to photograph it for you, but sacrifice is my middle name. Unless you want me to attend your 37th birthday party, and 38th, and 39th. If we are besties, I might come to the 40th, but don't expect a present.

Here is the hallway! (aka Carys's abode)

Originally she had her bed on the top bunk, but when she realized it limited her ability to get up for for a snack, kisses, one last hug, to brush her teeth, to get water, to pee, etc... she decided to move it down. Nevermind that bedtime stories and cuddles were difficult for me.

So now up top she has her playroom. This includes a toy basket, her books, her lego display, and her horse collection.

She also has an art gallery! ​

Inside the white shoe holder, Carys keeps some of her favorite books. Or so I thought. I opened it to take a picture and found this. Little hoarder.

Downstairs she has all of her crayons and colored pencils and her backpack. ​

Carys also has the best view in the house. ​

I will leave you with this. Like I said...sacrifice.

]]>Sun, 17 Sep 2017 12:39:03 GMThttp://www.thetinytruth.com/blog/matt-you-selfish-idiotI know we aren't quite finished with the tour of the house, but the big kids are still working on cleaning the loft so I can take pictures. They struggle. Maybe this week.

In the meantime, I asked Matt if he would be my guest blogger this week and write how he feels about our transition. I had to remind him a couple of times, but he got it done! So here, you go... Matt's point of view. And yes, he even penned the title.

We have no dishwasher. Did you know that? I am the dishwasher with the occasional help of the kids and when Chamie is feeling especially gracious. So I wash dishes all of the time. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I wash, dry, and put away.

School is in full swing and much to everyone's surprise we have had plenty of time in the morning. Chamie has even been cooking breakfast. Biscuits and gravy. Bacon and eggs. Even breakfast burritos. It was the breakfast burritos that made me snap. I was staring at the pile of dishes when I said, "If you wouldn't cook a seven course meal for breakfast, I wouldn't have to spend so much time washing dishes. The kids didn't even eat what you cooked. They ate cereal."

I immediately knew that I had stepped in it. There was no back pedaling out of this one. Chamie didn't say a word. But she was pissed. She was already headed past me toward our room when I said something brilliant like, "Are you mad at me?" She did not respond.

All I could do was start washing the dishes. I thought- Matt you selfish idiot. Callan, my 14 year old, walked over to the sink to give me a bit of advice. "You know dad it doesn't help that she's about to start her period." I mustered all the self-control I had and simply said, "I have been married to her for a long time. I know what I need to do." So I walked three steps and told the closed bedroom door, "I am sorry," and hoped Chamie heard it on the other side.

News flash. Chamie and I fight. Being in the tiny house has not changed that fact. But there is something different about having a fight in a tiny house. The kids are going to hear it from start to finish. So while I was standing there listening to Callan give me advice, I realized she needed to see and hear how we resolved the issue. I moved faster than ever from thinking about myself and all those @#$% dishes, to thinking about how I needed to apologize. I was thinking about how what I said and did next would impact not only Chamie and I but Callan as well. The more I thought about it the more I realized that this had always been the case, but it was never so obvious.

By the next morning, Chamie and I were able to talk through the incident. She was able to explain that cooking breakfast for the kids made her feel like she was doing something right as a mother. That put a different perspective on doing the dishes. Even though it still sucked, I could see that it was about more than just me.

As much as I like to think that our family is pretty special, we are like any other. Chamie and I fight. Our kids argue and pester each other. Some of us squeeze toothpaste from the middle of the tube. We are a regular sort of family with our own set of issues. Being in a tiny house has just forced us to see things a little differently.

I love watching how it is changing us. Being so close physically means we have to be more considerate. Not that we want to all the time, but we have to if we are going to make this work. You have to ask, "Does anyone need to use the bathroom?" before you jump in the shower. You have to make spot on the couch for everyone as it is the only comfortable place to sit.

Everyone is in the same room all of the time so we talk more. The kids tell us about what is happening at school while they do their homework. My 14 year talks to me about her boyfriend while I cook dinner and grit my teeth. The kids play together. We work together as a family to set the table for dinner. It is more work living tiny, but we enjoy each other now more than ever.

Everyone says, "I could never live in a tiny house. I just couldn't do it."

​I don't think you know what you are missing.

]]>Tue, 05 Sep 2017 02:05:00 GMThttp://www.thetinytruth.com/blog/the-love-shackOoooohhhhh look. It is the post that is going to answer all of those questions that have been lingering in the back of your head since I first posted about us moving into a tiny house. Only the bold have dared ask the question you all want answered. And even they have asked in code. How in the world are you and Matt going to (pay the taxes, relate, ummmm...you know, insert other awkward phrases here) in a tiny house? Well.... the answer is.... just like we have in every other house we have lived in. So let's get on with the tour. Here is is, people. The love shack.

We turned the bed sideways to give us more of a usable walkway in front. Had it been turned the "right" way, the walkways in front of the bed and on the sides would have been annoyingly tiny. The bed sort of serves as a couch during the day so we can watch tv. At night we do sleep the right way. The bedding for all the beds in the house is from Beddy's. They are lined with minky fabric and they zip up so it is much easier to make the bed. But who does that every morning?!?!? Not this girl.

This also happens at night. So. Many. Pillows. ​

​I had the bed made by my cousin's husband. It is HEAVY and very sturdy. No squeaking with this bed. (wink, wink). In the front, we have four drawers. One has Carys's non hanging clothes, one for me, one for Matt, and the last one has my robe and the extra bath towels. They are fairly large and are on wheels so we can pull them out easily.

We also have storage under the bed. Obviously it isn't easily accessible so we store seasonal things (or things we will never ever ever in a million years need but just can't get rid of) under here. Check it out!​

Next to the bed, we hung a folder holder from IKEA to use as a small nightstand and charging station. We still have some work to do on it, but it is functional for now. ​

The two white things on the wall are shoe holders from IKEA. I honestly think we can do without them since the top one is empty, but we shall see. ​

Now let's move to the other side of the room...the closet. Now if you know me, you know in my former life I had a shopping addiction. Well, the truth is I still have it. It is suppressed somewhere within my soul and DYING to find its way out. But I am a fighter, so I have only lost that battle a couple of times since we moved. Here is the closet - the only one in the house.

On the left side is Matt, Carys, and Cooper's closet space. Matt has the top rack and Cooper and Carys share the bottom. Matt's shoes are on the floor and the iron and ironing board are also stored in this section.

In the middle is the TV, my jewelry box (which has nothing much in it but I just haven't gotten to a place where i can let it go yet), all the internet and cable boxes, a few books, some perfume, and my makeup mirror, which is also known as the Mirror of Imperfection. It is so bright I have to use my eclipse glasses to even look into it. It is scary, people. Even Callan, who is fourteen, said it is scary. I told her to imagine how I felt. She shuddered.

Below all of that are six drawers. I will show you five. I do not think that Matt's t-shirts and underwear are anything anyone wants to look at. (As I was reading this back to him before posting, he said he cleaned it up for pictures!!!)

In the top two small drawers are make up, hair stuff, contacts, glasses, watch bands, etc...

I would like to thank the Mirror of Imperfection for its lighting help in the following pics.

I have use of the other three large drawers and Matt has one. I got things, y'all. He understands.

Drawer 1: underwear, sports bras, and bathing suits- No worries. The undies are not pictured.

Drawer 2: work out shorts (that I won't currently wear because my legs look too, ummm, shaky), socks, and work out tops

​Drawer 3: bathroom appliances and other bathroom items that we don't use daily

And finally...my side of the closet. I do share! I have the top rack and half of the bottom. Callan's hanging clothes are on the other half of the bottom rack. I also share my shoe space on the floor with Carys.

And if you wanted a closer view to see what clothes I kept...

It is mostly solids and stripes and there isn't much color. ​

I think that is about it! Gotta run! The kids are asleep!

]]>Sat, 26 Aug 2017 22:30:56 GMThttp://www.thetinytruth.com/blog/a-pot-to-pee-inAnd it's a nice pot at that- especially since Matt changed the toilet lid so it doesn't slide from side to side when you sit down. I HATE that! Everyone who has gone into the bathroom has commented on how much larger it is than they expected. Now the tub is super short, but other than that it is just a normal bathroom and you could find one just like it in any normal house. Check it out.

Let's see what I need to tell you about the bathroom. It took a lot of time to figure out how to store toiletries for five in such a small space. The wire basket beside the toilet serves as a hamper. It is only big enough to hold one load of clothes. Since the laundry has to be done daily that is not a problem. The basket contents alternate between towels and clothes depending on which is in the washer.

The shelves are made from old wood from Matt's dad's farm. I love that! It is one of my favorite parts of the house. Let's take a closer look.

On the top shelf we have stored Carys's bows in the jar with the wooden lid (it is from Hobby Lobby). I am not really sure why we still have the bows since Carys won't wear them anymore. They do, however, add a nice pop of color in a somewhat dull room. The next jar i picked up from Ross and it contains cotton pads for make up removal. It is my favorite jar because the lid works so well. It is the small things, people. Then you see the TP. I try to stack it artistically. Matt doesn't. No one sees it, so I am working on letting it go. But still sometimes after he unloads a new pack, I go in there and take them all down and restack them. Shhhhh...

OH! I almost forgot the copper container. That is plain ole feminine products, y'all. Callan said they couldn't be in a clear jar and I sort of agreed.

On the bottom shelf, you will find bandaids and ointments that are easily accessible to the kids, q- tips, and that crazy looking silver container holds all the toothbrushes and toothpaste (except for mine). It is vented! No worries!

Here is another view of the bathroom.

Now let's talk about the medicine cabinet. It was very necessary to make sure we had room for everything. Keep in mind that I get ready in my room so none of my make up or hair fixing tools stay in the bathroom. Now let's get ready. Put your hands over your eyes. Crack your fingers so you can peek through. Now look at the inside of the cabinet.

And there you go. Not gonna lie. I cleaned it before the photo session today.

Now what is coming next is even worse. And there are pictures of feminine products. You see, I used to buy them in bulk. So we had lots. And I just couldn't see myself loading up ten boxes of tampons and delivering them to the local charity. They are necessities. And they are expensive. So we sacrificed storage space for a few months. Here is under the sink. ​

Since we have moved into the house, I have bought the smallest package of everything except one. That bottle of PooPourri between the tampax and the toilet bowl cleaner is the largest one they sell. And if you want to get in trouble in the house, forget to use it. See how that goes for you.

I don't think it made any of the pictures, but underneath the sink we have a scale. It is broken so I should really get rid of it. It keeps displaying the incorrect digit in the tens place. Maybe it just needs some new batteries though. Meh.

Onto the shower and tub. Super exciting stuff here, friends.

And 3, 2, 1...​

And there you have it. The bathroom in all its glory. It is actually quite functional. School started this week. I know there are some of you who want me to say how hard it was, and that we were late four out of five days, and that we were in such a hurry the kids left the house with nonmatching shoes and mixed up backpacks. But it hasn't been like that at all. I get up around five. I take a shower and I am ready at six. Then everyone else gets up and gets ready. We have had more time and been less rushed than we ever have. Matt thinks it is because we can see the kids at all times and are able to better monitor what they are doing. I think it is because I am getting up when my alarm goes off and not snoozing seven times. But I won't share that with him. I am all like, yes honey, I am sure that is it. Wink. Wink.

All that being said, we have made it through one week of school. We are on top of our game. In a month, we may all be falling apart. You know I will let you know either way!

And because it isn't worthy of its own post, here is the laundry room. It shakes the entire house and it takes two hours to finish one load which can consist of no more than three towels or five articles of clothing. It's awesome. (insert eye roll)

Have a great weekend! ​

]]>Sat, 12 Aug 2017 01:07:50 GMThttp://www.thetinytruth.com/blog/kitchen-and-pantryLet's continue the tour. I had planned to post this earlier in the week, but I will not lie- with school starting back this week, the kitchen has been in no state to be photographed. So after school today, I grounded the kids from technology until the kitchen was clean. About five minutes later, we were good to go. Here it is!

In the picture above, you can see my dying succulent, my favorite straws, and one of my favorite things in the house- the spice and sprinkle rack. I picked up the succulent at Lowe's one day thinking that I would be able to keep it alive for more than a week. Lesson learned. That particular jar is from Paul Michael's. You can purchase the straws and magnetic spice rack strips from IKEA and finally the small jars came from my other favorite place... Amazon. You can use the links to check them out.

This corner is my favorite corner in the kitchen. Our mom and dad coffee mugs are so cute we leave them sitting out on the counter. That and there is no room in the cabinet. They are Rae Dunn mugs and my mom happened to find them at TJ Maxx. I have another one that says "HERS." I use it on days when I need space. "Mom" sends a warm and cuddly message. "Hers" says stay away. I keep it in the cabinet. That doesn't mean I don't use it.

Most of the stuff in this picture I randomly picked up, but I will link items when I can. The copper salt shakers and spoon rest came from Williams and Sonoma outlet. Here are some similar ones. The hanging rack, hooks, and trivets are from IKEA.

Now, let us take a moment and talk about coffee. We have had a Keurig for years and years. After having a few issues with it and seeing all of the posts on social media about how moldy they get inside, we decided to tear ours apart and check it out. It was all clean! And irreparable. Instead of replacing it with another Keurig, we decided we wanted something better. So we researched coffee makers for days and days. Days and days that we will never get back. But in the end our research paid off. We purchased a Nespresso. The coffee is AMAZING. In fact, my mom said it was the best cup of coffee she has ever had. Ever. And if you get one, you might as well get the bundle with the milk frother because that is the coolest part. Our favorite capsules are the Melozio and Elvazio.

They look so much more organized in real life. HA! Those are the top cabinets. The only real thing of interest is the storage containers. The white ones above the microwave are from IKEA and contain sugar, flour (SR and AP), pancake mix, and pasta. The ones with the blue lids are also from IKEA. They are awesome. And cheap.

Now seriously prepare yourself. Here are the lower cabinets.

And behind the movie containers and colander...

Now by looking at that pic you should know for a fact that my kids do chores. I would NEVER EVER EVER stack the pots from smallest to biggest with the SMALL POT AT THE BOTTOM!!! And they did the same with the skillets. Oh dear. They do chores, but I still have a lot of work to do. And yes, I know I need new pots.

Lets move to the refrigerator. It is directly behind you if you are cooking. Above the fridge is a shelf. It has jars- imagine that- that contain drink mixes (spark, kool aid, tea...), laundry pods, and skin moisturizers for Carys's eczema. Behind the jars and cookbooks you will find my stockpile of bath and body works soap, my Le Creuset pots, and the crockpot.

I didn't clean the fridge because this is real life people. If I take that stuff off the fridge, I become that parent. The one who text and ask for the list of school supplies. Or when open house is. And don't let that Whole Food cookbook fool you. I have never cooked anything out of it. I kept it so I can feel better about myself.

This is wearing me out. I cannot imagine giving a tour of our big house.

Finally...the stairs. They serve several purposes. They are the entryway to the loft, but they also provide lots of storage as well. Check it out. And I have no idea where I picked up all these baskets. The Roomba lives under the bottom of the staircase. She doesn't have a name, and we haven't used her in the tiny house yet.

​We now have a pet basket.

So there you have it. I think I missed a drawer. Forgive me. It has utensils and dish towels.

Next up will be the laundry and bathroom!

And in case you were wondering, Carson is adjusting just fine.

]]>Fri, 04 Aug 2017 23:48:09 GMThttp://www.thetinytruth.com/blog/its-a-boyYes, you read that correctly. We are adding a member to the family. For those of you that thought, "Oh I had been wondering. I noticed a little belly on her last week." SHAME ON YOU!!! You know that belly is the chips and queso at work! Besides, this factory is shut down.

Really though, we got a puppy. Just when you thought we couldn't have lost our minds any more- we did.

And it's a boy.

And the kids don't know yet. Well they will by the time I post this, but at this moment they are inside watching Disney channel, arguing over who gets to play the Switch, and complaining that they might have to bathe tonight. First world problems. They have no idea what is about to happen.

They want a dog- especially Callan. Carys wants a horse. I can't help Carys. Cooper likes the idea of a puppy as well, but Callan has been begging. For years she has begged and begged.

Callan wants a dog so badly that she is even going to get up at 5 am to exercise the puppy before school. Callan's pupils have never seen anything other than her eyelids at 5 am so I am not convinced; however, Callan's eyes spend way too much time looking at a screen of some sort. Congratulations, Callan. Meet your technological distraction. And I will be waking you up in the mornings. And in the middle of the night when he needs to potty.

​We waited until we moved into a tiny house and bought a puppy. Logical. Just like everything else we do in life.

​I was just informed his name is Carson! (And he is a red merle mini Aussie in case you were wondering.)

I will be back next week with the continuation of the tour! Enjoy your weekend!

​

]]>Thu, 03 Aug 2017 23:58:23 GMThttp://www.thetinytruth.com/blog/luxurious-living-delightful-diningAs promised, here is your tour of the tiny house. I will start at the beginning and make it through the entire house over the next couple of weeks. We will save the loft for last because it will take the kids that long to get it clean. Truth.

I will try to link everything we have purchased in case you are interested in purchasing anything. Or in case you are just nosy and want to see how much everything cost. I always fall in the latter category so no judgement here.

Here is the living room, dining room, and occasionally the guest room. Who am I kidding. No one wants to come over to stay anymore. Actually, Callan did have one friend stay the night. We shall see if she accepts the next invitation. Stay tuned.

​Here is the storage piece we chose to go under the tv. This same piece is in the loft, which you will see later. It is in the KALLAX series from IKEA. There are many different size and color options, but the coolest part is the cubicles come empty and you can customize it any way you like. We chose to put drawers in two of the cubicles, cabinets in two, and we purchased hanging baskets for two more. We also added the legs.

Callan painted the cow picture in 6th grade and the other picture was a gift that my mom painted for me. On the bottom shelf you will find some candy I picked up from NYC and a jar of birthday candles. The kids will still have birthdays in the tiny house and why not display such cuteness! The jars I picked up from TJ Maxx.

On the other side, you will find some snacks and our favorite books. We got rid of hundreds of books. Some of our other favorites took up residence at my mom's house and we read them when we visit. These jars came from Tuesday Morning. And one cracked today. The goldfish must have been plotting an escape. That's the only explanation anyone at the house has.

In the drawers and cabinets, there is a lot of junk. Most things look cute in a jar. Thank you cards, gaming system parts, bills, tax returns, important paperwork... I just couldn't make those look attractive using the jar method. So I went back to my old ways and shoved them in a drawer. I still took some pics. I will let you see one.

I did have one brilliant idea. I threw all of the DVD cases away when we moved out of the big house. GASP!!! I sure did! A couple hundred of them! And I put the DVDs in ​CD cases. No, they aren't in alphabetical order. I just couldn't trust my people to put them back in the correct spot so I chose to save my sanity. I got the caseshere! ​

The other cabinet holds various photos, stationery, envelopes to send money to school, video tapes of our wedding... Necessities. ​

On the top of the piece of furniture is more jars! They hold more snacks for the kids and a bazillion chargers for phones and well, honestly I have no idea what all those cords charge.

Moving onto dining! It Is pretty simple. Our coffee table changes into a dining table. We have a stack of five stools that we put out around the table to eat. I had the table custom made. The stools are from IKEA.

It really is pretty amazing. I am not sure what is going on with Cooper's face. He loves spaghetti!

Guest room transformation is up next. The throw pillows are from TJ Maxx. The couch is from...can you guess? IKEA! Good job. Check it out here.​

There is storage underneath the couch. It holds a memory foam mattress topper and our traveling bags.

A couple more things and then we are done with this room! I know it is long. It serves lots of purposes.

We needed a place to hang the bags we use everyday. So we hung them on the wall! Why not? The backpacks are stuffed with school supplies. I haven't mustered up the courage to ask if there is an early supply drop off day so for now they are stuffed in Carys's playroom. Carys's backpack hangs there as well. We didn't forget about her! ​

Callan stuck with Vera again this year for her backpack. Cooper, my trendsetter, wanted a messenger bag. I found it on Amazon. I am not sure how practical it is. Or how long it will last.

My bag hangs on the other side of the entryway. The lamp is from Target and so is the side table, which is sold out. Not that you can see the side table anyway. But for those of you who want to know, it was $69.98.

Phew! I think that is it. If I missed something, ask away. I hope you have awesome internet speed to load all these pictures. I had to come to a friend's house to work because my internet is AWFUL! (Thanks, Lee!) Not to worry! I am sure my technician, Charlie, can fix it sometime between 8 am and 8 pm after I go back to work.

]]>Fri, 28 Jul 2017 02:27:05 GMThttp://www.thetinytruth.com/blog/the-tiny-tour-recapWe had a wonderful time giving all of you a tour of the house this past weekend! Thanks to you, we raised a little over $500 for the Smiles Park! Things have actually been going better than expected since we moved into the house a little over a month ago. I think everyone actually agrees about that!I mean we did discover while we were getting ready for church Sunday that we all brush our teeth right before we have to leave. Who knew? We are going to work on staggering our brushing, but I think we can manage that.

Here are some pics from the party! I know you all want a detailed tour of the house. I promise I am working on that. The girls and I are taking a quick trip to the beach before school starts and once we get back I will give you the grand tour- from top to bottom. I will even let you peek in all the cabinets and drawers!

Before the chaos! Isn't our landscaping phenomenal!?!?!?!

​Carys got to hang out with her super cute cousin, Rylan.

​Southern Shivers came and boy did they make some people happy with their sneauxballs.

​See what I mean, Sweet Graham.

I have this evidence as well. Yes, that is a slice of cheesecake in their sneauxballs. And while Greg may not look happy, that is because is was 125 degrees and he hadn't taken a bite yet.

Matt is like... how much longer is this party my wife planned?

​We had a little game of bball.

​Friends came from Mississippi! Thanks for coming, Melissa!!!

​And Bridget came from Oklahoma!!! And she brought her mom! Aren't they cute!!!

​Georgie the pup came for a visit!!! Isn't she adorable?!?!?

​And while Georgie was on the porch, her moms, pops, and uncle were hanging out in the loft.

​The loft was a hit! I actually wondered if there was a weight limit at one point.

​Footies for the win. Because I hate cleaning. Even when its only 399 HSF of it.

Nana and Callan had a good visit on the porch- which is my favorite place.​

But the BEST part of the day was the money we raised for the Smiles Park. So thanks to all of you who came. We had a great time seeing all of you and showing you our house. And while it may be tiny, there is loads of love inside.

Oh, and Matt sent this pic for me to post. Ummmm... yeah, you still got it, babe.

]]>Wed, 19 Jul 2017 15:34:02 GMThttp://www.thetinytruth.com/blog/the-finishing-touchI have plants, y'all. Real live plants. Take a close look at that adjective- live. In a few weeks I hope that I can still use that word to describe them. You see, I kill plants. I bought a succulent three weeks ago and it is dying. How does one kill a succulent?!?! I don't know either, but I did. "Mist it once a week," the instructions stated. Surely, I thought, I can handle that. And I did. I have misted it exactly three times since I bought it. And it's brown. It should be green. Oh well. You never know unless you try.

So back to the landscaping... it is gorgeous!!! I thought I should post some pictures today. You know...while it's green.

​BEFORE

AFTER

Isn't it fabulous! Thanks so much to David Foster at Southern Living Landscape for putting my vision into place. Now let's all pray they live. Seriously.

The Tiny Tour is this weekend. After that I will post photo tours of the house on the blog for all of you to see. I will also try to link all the items we have purchased for the house to help with organization. Until then...

]]>Mon, 17 Jul 2017 01:04:05 GMThttp://www.thetinytruth.com/blog/sod-stinksWe have been so busy around here lately that I haven't had much time for blogging (well that and I don't have internet), but I am finally getting a minute to sit down and give all of you an update. The week after we moved in we packed right back up and headed on vacation. After packing, Matt said, "I think I just packed up all of my clothes." You did, honey. You did.

We usually go to the beach, but this year we decided to go to Austin, TX. Here is a brief recap. ​We packed everything we had just unpacked. We drove all day long. We rented a tiny house for the first two nights. We went to Krause Springs. We went shopping. (the kids loved this)We swam.We moved to a hotel where my college roomie and her family met up with us. We went to TopGolf. (I am AWFUL.)We ate salsa at every meal one day. We went to see UT. We went to South Congress. We shopped some more. ​We got rolled ice cream. We moved hotels again. (Matt loves changing where we are staying during a trip. Loading and unloading the car is his FAV!)We went to Schlitterbahn. We drove home to a HOT MESS at our house. (more on that in a few)

So back to the house. We have been trying to get all the finishing touches coordinated before The Tiny Tour. We had four main projects.

1. Steps and skirting2. DIrtwork3. Shed​4. Sod

Wouldn't you know they all came on the same day. Better than not at all I suppose. Our shed had been lovingly dumped in our driveway while we were away. Dumped. Does customer service even exist anywhere other than Nordstrom and Chick Fil A? I think I have covered this topic before. (Check out the background of the house and then check out the difference at the end of this post!)

Anyway...so we arrived home around lunch (we woke up to head out at 4 am) and encountered loads of work to do. First we had to unpack the car. So basically I moved us all back into the house. Then there was laundry. I spent all day doing laundry in my small capacity washer. There is no place for dirty clothes so it had to be done. Right then. Just as I got caught up on the laundry, Matt said, Hey, Chamie, did you want to get started putting this shed together?" I glared at the 79 page instruction booklet, the package of 356 screws (of only ONE of the types) and then I replied, "Sure, honey."

***You thought I was going to say no and go to bed since I had been up since 4 am, moved us all back in, and done all of the laundry in the house, didn't you? But what you don't know is while we were on vacation I found something I really want. It is a trampoline. I know. I am crazy. But we tested them out in the store and childlike joy filled my heart and my screams of excitement could not be contained. So I am being super sweet so I can convince Matt I need this trampoline. Right now he has agreed to letting me get one in the fall. I am working on moving the date up a little bit.

So I helped put together the shed. Until midnight. At that point the bugs were gathered so thickly around my headlamp that they were blocking the light. But you know what...we got to step 74! We had assembled four walls and half of a roof! Then the next day we finished up! We had to. Eight slowly dying pallets of sod were waiting on us.

Onto the sod. It was AWFUL. I will never lay sod again in my life. I will go give plasma and save the money to pay someone else. Matt's friend, John, came over to help for a bit. He was a good sodder. He is a perfectionist. I hope he doesn't come see the part we did after he left. In our defense- it was dark. Then my friend, Lee, came to help for a while. Then she saw one of the spiders and suddenly had to go. Thankfully it was dark when she got there or she would've seen the spiders long before she did. Thanks, John and Lee, for your help!

Matt and I continued to work. We finally went to sleep. Matt got up early the next morning to work some more. Then he left for work and I got up to go out and work. I almost only passed out once. Then when Matt got off work he finished it up. DREADFUL is the only word that can describe laying sod. And it smells SO bad!!!

Anyway, it is done. And I didn't have to pay anyone which is good because I am really tired of writing checks. Also I am pretty sure the bank is going to call real soon and tell me that I have to stop writing them.

And bonus... the landscaper is supposed to come this week! AND... the steps and skirting will be stained this week as well.

Hope they don't come on the same day.

​The Tiny Tour is in less than a week now and we are so excited to show all of you the house! It has been working out quite well. We all got ready and made it to church on time this morning. Win! The real test will come once school starts. That is sure to be interesting. But for now, all is well and all is peaceful...until two people have to poop at the same time.